Manchester United and Arsenal’s Premier League clashes may not hold the same importance as they once did – but it remains one of the top flight’s most tantalising fixtures.
With the Gunners’ title hopes effectively over, Ruben Amorim’s United have the chance to strike the final blow to Arsenal’s season. Mikel Arteta’s side, however, will refuse to bow down easily when they get underway at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.
One player who has the rare privilege of having represented both historic clubs, and who will be eagerly watching, is former defender Mikael Silvestre. The 47-year-old spent 12 years in the Premier League, first being signed from Inter Milan for £4million by Sir Alex Ferguson in 1999.
The versatile Frenchman went on to win the Champions League, FA Cup and five Premier League titles in a Red Devils shirt. In 2008, Silvestre completed a shock move to their rivals – the Gunners – at the behest of compatriot Arsene Wenger.
And while he only made 43 appearances for the north Londoners across two seasons, he insists he still has a soft spot for Arsenal, though he admits United still edge it when it comes to who he supports today.
Speaking to talkSPORT’s Andy Goldstein and Darren Bent last year about his time with each of the bitter rivals, he was asked which club he supported more. Silvestre replied: “When you have been travelling as much as I did, you still look back and support the clubs you played for.
“But, as you know, nine years at United is a long time in one career. If you asked me to pick, it would be more United, but I had a great time at Arsenal.”
Goldstein later pushed Silvestre to pick between United and Arsenal again, this time based on who he would want to join if he were still playing and wanted to win the Premier League.
The former France defender replied: “I would go to Arsenal right now. I am not a patient guy!” And when quizzed if he believed Arsenal would win the league before United, Silvestre simply said: “Yes.”
Only a handful of players have played for both United and Arsenal in the Premier League era. Alexis Sanchez might be the biggest name in recent memory but Danny Welbeck, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Andy Cole and Robin van Persie are others to have worn both jerseys with varying degrees of success.
Despite the rivalry during Ferguson and Wenger’s reigns being ingrained in fans’ memories, the fixture in recent years has been a less tense affair, at first due to Arsenal’s drop off and, more recently, United’s decline. While Arsenal have competed for the title in each of the past three seasons and are currently second in the league, the Red Devils are languishing in the bottom half of the table.
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